The Hornets have officially signed guard Marcus Garrett to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Charlotte doesn’t have an open spot on its 15-man roster but continues to qualify for a hardship exception because the club has four players who have missed at least three consecutive games and are expected to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks — Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, Grant Williams, and Josh Okogie all fit the bill. That means the Hornets are permitted to temporarily carry an extra player.
As our 10-day tracker shows, Elfrid Payton signed a pair of hardship 10-day deals with Charlotte, then Malachi Flynn got one too. Flynn’s contract expired overnight on Monday and the Hornets have opted not to re-sign him, so Garrett will take his place on the roster.
Garrett, who went undrafted out of Kansas in 2021, appeared in 12 NBA games while on a two-way contract with the Heat as a rookie, but he has spent most of his professional career in the G League, including the past two seasons with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s affiliate.
In a total of 40 games for the Swarm this season across the Tip-Off Tournament and G League regular season, Barrett has averaged 10.4 points, 3.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 29.7 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .448/.291/.702. Known more for his defense than his offense, the 6’5″ guard was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 as a Jayhawk.
Garrett will earn $107,027 on his 10-day deal with Charlotte, which will run through March 21, covering the team’s next six games. Assuming the Hornets still qualify for a hardship exception when the contract expires, they would have the ability to give Garrett a second 10-day deal.